"There's
something about light that's right for these terrible subjects. It's a way of having beauty let you come closer than you might
otherwise."

~Jenny Holzer

In the area of language, the art of Jenny Holzer truly defines
that facet of the stream. Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, Holzer went on to study art at the University of Chicago, Duke University,
Ohio University, and the Rhode Island School of Design. She began her career as an abstract artist who was greatly influenced
by Mark Rothko. It was 1977 and she had just finished an independent study through the Whitney
Museum of American Art. She had an idea to paint sayings onto canvases and display them anonymously around New York City.
These texts became known as “Truisms,” and those Truisms would make her internationally known for her public presentations of issues through text. The
Truisms are printed on posters, LED signs, plaques, benches, stickers, tee shirts, on the internet and many more locations
that I can list. Her Truisms are short statementsthat make people think about issues like:

a solid home base builds a sense of self

bad intentions can yield good results

every achievement requires a sacrifice

ignoring enemies is the best way to fight

it's better to be lonely than to be with inferior people

morals are for little people

raise boys and girls the same way

romantic love was invented to manipulate women

starvation is nature's way

stupid people shouldn't breed

wishing things away is not effective

you are a victim of the rules you live by

you should study as much as possible

As we can see, some make sense,
while others are a bit more sarcastic. Either way, the statements make up look within ourselves and examine our own beliefs
based on the text’s comment. These comments range in topic through religion, politics, gender issues, and life in general.
“I wanted to have almost every subject represented, almost every possible point of view, and then
I had to sort out what those sentences should appear on. That turned out to be the street posters. Subsequent series had different
demands because they had to fit in any number of places. I had to find the right medium, be that stone or electronics. So
I tried to sort this out as I went. I’m afraid to talk about values these days. Usually, any time values are invoked,
it’s to dismiss or maybe incarcerate somebody! I do make work that focuses on unnecessary cruelty, in the hope that
people will recoil. I would like there to be less fear and cruelty. And I’d like to think I have some plain old empathy
too.” She stopped writing the Truisms in 2001 and began to use the texts of others. “One
reason why I stopped was because I tend to write about ghastly subjects. So it’s not just the difficulty of having something
turn out right, but it’s also the difficulty of staying with the material long enough to complete it. It’s necessary
to be emotionally engaged when writing about these topics. It’s exhausting.” Holzer lives and works in
Hoosick Falls, New York.